https://www.thecitizen.co.tz/t...to-oust-them-3678796


The Citizen News

Local hunters now claim new ‘legislation ploy’ to oust them

TUESDAY JANUARY 11 2022


Summary
Criticisms against the bill follows recent complaints by the same group over not being allocated hunting blocks with sufficient numbers of animals.


By Zephania Ubwani


Arusha. Local hunters have once again criticized a new legislation on wildlife hunting.
They claim that the recently passed bill on hunting could be another ploy to push them out of business.
Saidi Mzee, the secretary of Tanzania Local Hunters Association (TLHA) said the association has some reservations on the bill.
“It is bent on removing us from hunting,” he told The Citizen, calling for swift intervention of higher authorities.
He said efforts to reach out the relevant authorities to have their grievances heard and acted upon have been futile.
That is despite a series of meetings convened by the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (Tawa) for the hunting companies and other stakeholders.
Also involved is the Wildlife Division in the Natural Resources and Tourism, another government arm overseeing wildlife hunting.
Criticisms against the bill follows recent complaints by the same group over not being allocated hunting blocks with sufficient numbers of animals.
The 45-member TLHA alleges this was a systematic way to push them out of the hunting business in favour of tourist hunters from abroad.
However, lately the body has claimed that most critical in their grievances are not confined to the hunting licences.
Mr Mzee said the critical point on their grievances was the recently passed “draconian bill” which threatens to edge them out of hunting business.
“The premise of our cry is on the new bill, not licenses,” he affirmed, calling for the intervention of President Samia Suluhu Hassan on the issue.
“Our salvation is on Mama Samia,” hinted the chairperson of the association, Mr Ali Jumbe, in an interview.
He alleged that the Wildlife Conservation (Resident Hunting) Regulations, 2020 were not friendly to the indigenous players in the industry.
TLHA, a legal entity registered since 2011, is one of the hunting groups whose members are licensed to hunt for game meat, trophy and for hobby.
Another hunters’ body called the Tanzania Hunting Operators Association (Tahoa) recently appealed for tax cuts.
The organisation claimed during a meeting of tourist hunting companies that increased taxation threatens to bring down their trade.

Let's see how the auctions come out and keep our fingers crossed.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Let's see how the auctions come out and keep our fingers crossed.

Lavaca:

This group is related to resident hunters whose activities are for personal enjoyment and not concerned with tourist hunting.

Resident hunting had been closed for several years and a good number of the Open, WM & GCAs which were accessible hunting venues to resident hunters got taken over by outfitters to conduct tourist hunting safaris which were obviously more profitable propositions to the government. These areas are now earmarked to be included in the auction process and will definitely put the lid on resident hunters who will not be in a position to afford the prices.

It is rather sad actually that a foreign resident or TZ national can no longer enjoy the privilege of participating in an activity which in a way is part of the national heritage viz; escape for a weekend into the bush and shoot a couple of animals for the pot.

Fulvio,

I'd thought about getting residency and buying a house in Arusha so that I could hunt buffalo as a resident. Are you saying that is no longer available?

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Fulvio,

I'd thought about getting residency and buying a house in Arusha so that I could hunt buffalo as a resident. Are you saying that is no longer available?

Yup.

Times have changed for the worse for resident hunters and that is the gripe being presented by the TLHA announcement.

Also, not sure you can buy a house outright in Arusha .... suggest you do some research on property purchases first.

One of the reasons I hesitated when I could. The government keeps changing the rules. Glad I didn't now. Are the powers at be cognizant of the consequences of their actions? Doesn't seem like it.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
One of the reasons I hesitated when I could. The government keeps changing the rules. Glad I didn't now. Are the powers at be cognizant of the consequences of their actions? Doesn't seem like it.

Day 4 into the auctioning process and it seems to be heading south.

A 21 day safari in Tanzania is well over $100k all in. Now the Tanzanian government may think they have an unlimited market, it is in fact is rather limited. And the people who can afford to play are getting tired of the government's shenanigans.

There are places I want to hunt, but more important than that are the people I want to hunt with. So these reallocations of hunting areas are disruptive and counterproductive. It keeps me from being able to book as I usually book two or three years in advance. I suspect I'm not alone.

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
One of the reasons I hesitated when I could. The government keeps changing the rules. Glad I didn't now. Are the powers at be cognizant of the consequences of their actions? Doesn't seem like it.

Day 4 into the auctioning process and it seems to be heading south.

Sad to hear.

I couldn't find info on TAWA. Is there a website we can follow to see results?

quote:

Originally posted by AilsaWheels:

Sad to hear.

I couldn't find info on TAWA. Is there a website we can follow to see results?

The bidding process is not available for public consumption. One has to be a registered bidder to be able to access the system so if you want to be kept in the loop would have to be in contact with one of the actively involved parties.

quote:

Originally posted by fulvio:

quote:

Originally posted by AilsaWheels:

Sad to hear.

I couldn't find info on TAWA. Is there a website we can follow to see results?

The bidding process is not available for public consumption. One has to be a registered bidder to be able to access the system so if you want to be kept in the loop would have to be in contact with one of the actively involved parties.

Thanks for the reply.

Hope residents are allowed to hunt again, and soon.

Will the official results be announced at some point? We are well into the booking season.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Will the official results be announced at some point? We are well into the booking season.

Those who may have lost their concessions are still good for business until the end of 2022.

The official results are likely to be made public only once the successful bidders have paid their dues which I understand should be within 7 days of auction end date.

quote:

Originally posted by lavaca:
Fulvio,

I'd thought about getting residency and buying a house in Arusha so that I could hunt buffalo as a resident. Are you saying that is no longer available?

Lavaca,

Your naivete is I'm afraid laughable.

I lived in Tz and held a residents license for ten years - the degree of commitment to the idea and the country is wildly beyond anything you appear to be suggesting - simply "buying a house in Arusha" as Fulvio suggests is simply not practically an option.

On a practical level to outfit your own safari - chuck your whole existence and sustenance for 2-4 weeks into the back of a pickup truck and head into the bush as ph, trigger-puller, tracker, diplomat, cook, driver, administrator, camp boy and general dogsbody might also be beyond this level of commitment....

All in all yes this situation is sad - the best is behind us. I choose not to go back there.

Heading to Botswana and Namibia in a couple of months - go figure...

Where are you headed to in Namibia and Botswana, Ian?

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
Where are you headed to in Namibia and Botswana, Ian?

Flying direct into Vic Falls (to avoid both Heathrow and Jo'burg....) then wandering across Chobe, Moremi, the pans, GKGR thence into Bushmanland for a little hunting - nothing real exciting on the bill - we'll just see what happens. Then back out of Windhoek.